“It’s almost ten,” I said. “And it’s forty minutes back to Durham.”
“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Diane,” I said, my tone firm, but not unkind. “The couch folds out. You know where the extra blankets are. It doesn’t make sense to drive forty minutes at ten o’clock when you have to be back here at nine tomorrow morning anyway.”
She hesitated for a moment, her eyes searching my face. Something passed across her expression — uncertainty, maybe regret. Then, she finally nodded. “Okay,” she said, her voice quiet.
I set up the pull-out couch in the living room, found the extra blankets in the hall closet, and left them on the armrest without making it a big deal. I kissed Cooper goodnight, careful not to disturb him, and then went to my room.
It was strange — she was no longer my wife, and yet, having her here in my house, even if just for the night, felt like I was holding on to something that was long gone. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering how I had ended up here. Wondering what had happened to the love we once shared.
I couldn’t quite make sense of it, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
part2
The Midnight Revelation
I woke up at 12:40 AM, the familiar ache of being a light sleeper kicking in. It wasn’t unusual for me. I had been a parent long enough to be hypervigilant, always listening for a cry, always waiting for something to go wrong.
